Keto Lemon Garlic Chicken

It’s time for True Confessions: "Hi, my name is Heather. I got an Instant Pot for Christmas and it scared me."

Don’t get me wrong. I asked for one - the biggest one no less. I just had no idea how intimidating it would be. All of the buttons, gizmos, and instructions for safe-using sent me into shut-down mode. So instead of facing my fear of steam and high pressure cooking, I put all of the gadgets and manuals inside of the pot and proceeded to find a cabinet big enough for it to hide in.

Meanwhile, my well-intentioned husband kept asking about the IP. Did I not like it? Was this going to be hard-earned money thrown out on another useless kitchen gadget?

My ego and pride were taking hit after hit until I had to woman-up and face down this ridiculous fear. Maybe it wasn’t so ridiculous. I mean, people used to be scared of high-pressure cookers with good reason. But, the new electronic cookers are much safer - hell, they even have a whole manual for safe-using, lol.

I had a couple of false starts. Days when I would wake up with every intention of making something in the IP and then, as the time would get closer, I’d start to get sweaty palms and my nerves would get the best of me until I talked myself out of using it that night.

I’m not somebody that chickens out on things and am known to face my fears with the heart of a warrior so I needed to conquer this. The longer my Instant Pot sat in hiding, the more determined I was to make this a kitchen win.

One fateful night, 2 weeks ago, I did it. I popped my Instant Pot cherry and my life hasn’t been the same since.

I had sent my son to the store to get chicken thighs and he came home with 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs and I needed to do something with them.

I decided to take the bull by the horns, or the pot by the lid in this case, and go big. I wasn’t just going to cook thighs but I was going to brown and saute and cook.

I was taking this pot on the ultimate test-drive - using all the bells and whistles to see what this baby could really do.

What was created that night ended up being a new family favorite. Words like “dank” and “unbelievable” were thrown around. Each and every person in this house loved it. The sauce, or gravy, is downright drinkable. It was so good on the chicken and even better on the cauliflower stir-fried rice I served with it.

This dish should have taken upwards of 2 hours to make and I did it in under 45 minutes, start to finish.

This is just one of many things I’ve since cooked in the IP. I absolutely love everything about this kitchen gadget. The fact that I can saute, brown and then cook all in one pot, in way less time means the IP is out of hiding permanently. It has earned a coveted spot on my kitchen counter and I can’t wait to use it tonight for my broccoli soup!

If you already have your high-pressure cooker, you are going to love this recipe. If you don’t have one, you’re missing out but this recipe is still doable. You’ll want to use a large pot to make it in and add an hour to the cooking time.

Keto Lemon Garlic Chicken (for the Instant Pot)

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 cup of chicken broth

1 yellow onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup white wine

2 tbsp mct oil or olive oil

½ tsp paprika

Salt, pepper and garlic powder

2 tbsp arrowroot powder to thicken sauce

Cooking spray for cookie sheet

Instructions

Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Heat the mct or olive oil in the IP on Saute mode. Add the chicken thighs and brown each side for 3-5 minutes. You may need to do it in batches. I was able to brown 4 at a time.

Remove the thighs and add the garlic and onions and saute until soft and brown, about 5 minutes.

Put the thighs back in the pot along with the rest of the ingredients, minus the arrowroot powder.

Secure lid and manually add 20 minutes to the cook time.

While the chicken is cooking, preheat the broiler in the oven.

When the time is up, manually release the vent and remove the lid when it’s done releasing the steam.

Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on a greased cookie sheet.

Put tray under the broiler for 5-7 minutes until the skin crisps.

While the thighs are under the broiler, spoon ¼ cup of the sauce out and in a small bowl, add the arrowroot powder and whisk until mixed well.

Add this back into the sauce and stir well. It will thicken up the sauce nicely into a delicious gravy.

Top the cooked chicken thighs with lots of gravy and enjoy!

Are there any kitchen appliances hiding out in your cupboards (maybe even an Instant Pot)? Comment below and join me in conquering your fear!